FIRE isn’t JUST for Bike Wielding Hippies

Bad news for the environment* but good news if you don’t own a bike and like the principles of Financial Independence! FIRE (Financial Independence Retire Early) does not require a plethora of middle fingers at all the things that make up the “Traditional American Life.” You can embrace modern conveniences and still achieve the ultimate financial goal.

Over the last year, I have had this nagging feeling about the Financial Independence space, and recently that nag has turned into an ulcer. Which I suppressed for a while until it was ready to be born into some borderline ranting words.

There are a lot of parallels to personal finance and music that’s played on the radio. What you hear and see tends to be formulaic; a one-size-fits-all to appease a wide swath of a desired demographic. The Bridge That Led Us Here – Debt Ascent Related

From Lyn Alden … Imagine never worrying about money again. Consider what it would be like to never think negatively about bills, about getting fired, or about recessions. Picture what it would be like to be “work optional” for the rest of your life, because you have enough money stashed away, and enough passive income, […]

I love the Boy Scout motto: Be Prepared. The motto traces back to a book published in 1908 titled Scouting for Boys. The author was Baden Powell, who also founded the Boy Scouts Association in England that same year. A short two years later the Boy Scouts of America were established and quickly grew to […]

From The Retirement Spot … Almost everything in life involves the time value of money. If you buy a car on credit, take out a mortgage, or invest in stocks. It all involves the time value of money. If you work for a company, every decision the company makes will involve in one way or […]

These 7 Strategies are like hiking trails. They vary in distance and difficulty. You’re likely more suited to some than to others. They may occasionally converge and you’ll find yourself walking two or more paths at the same time. And you’ll have plenty of opportunities to switch paths altogether mid-journey if you choose. The 7 […]

From Military Dollar … “You might have heard of the Milestones or Stages of Financial Independence…There are some pretty standard steps people take when walking the path to FI: Establish an emergency fund. Invest. Spend less than you earn. But they are, it has to be admitted, a bit boring. And it can take sooooo […]

From Daily Successful Living … “We make good money,” I threw that phrase out there while speaking with a friend and was shocked at her response. She thanked me for being so open and honest and then proceeded to tell me that in the past she has been shamed for her family’s financial success. She […]

From Mr. FI Guy … If you are a frequent visitor to Mr. Fi Guy you’ll know that my wife and I both work and we have a very high savings rate, around 70%, post-tax. We use that savings rate to max out all of our tax-advantaged accounts (401K, Roth IRA, and HSA), but we […]

From Money For The Modern Girl … After her recent death, I reflect on the lessons from my grandmother’s life. She was a strong woman – but she was not a FIRE seeker. Financial Lessons From my Grandmother – Money For The Modern Girl Related